Overclocking on a faulty motherboard
Overclocking on a faulty motherboard
I'm trying to overclock an FX 4300 on an ASUS M5A78L-M LX3, but I just realized the board isn't suitable for overclocking and doing so could damage it. I've achieved a stable overclock at 4.50 GHz with idle temps around 18°C and high load temps averaging 52°C on a stock cooler. The system runs smoothly without crashes, and I've adjusted the BIOS settings—lowering the voltage from 1.35V to 1.23V. The motherboard's max Vcore is 1.38V, with average temperatures of 42°C and 28°C. The PSU is a Corsair CX750 rated 80+ at 750W. I haven't needed to replace the CPU; just re-applied thermal paste. I'm unsure why the board still performs well despite these conditions. Have I missed something? Is it safe to keep going?
You might be getting away with it because you're using a four-core processor instead of a six or eight-core one. The VRM isn't heatsinked, which can lead to throttling at high temperatures.